Shift mechanism for accordions



Patented June 24, 1941 SHIFT MECHANISM FOR ACCORDIONS Carl Lindeberg, DeKalb, Ill., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, a. corporationApplication May 2, 1940, Serial No. 332,934

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the shift buttons and mechanism for operatingthe slide valves in an accordion, such as those associated with thetreble reed blocks, and particularly to the arrangement and mountingthereof.

The object of the invention is to so construct and position the shiftbuttons with respect to the piano keyboard of the accordion as to renderthem self indicating of the valve position and more convenient formanipulation to open or close the valves with substantially the samefinger movement as employed upon the keyboard. This is accomplished bysupporting the shift buttons adjacent the keyboard within convenientreach of the fingers, and pivotally mounting them centrally of andintermediate their ends for permitting of their oscillation. Thus, withthe same finger movement as applied to the key board, the buttons may beoscillated from one position to another about their pivotal mountings,the direction of oscillation being substantially the same as thedirection of movement of the piano keys. Furthermore, the relativepositions of the buttons readily indicate the corresponding relativepositions of the several slide valves actuated thereby.

A further feature of the invention resides in the simplification andminimizing of space and mechanical parts for transmitting movementbetween the actuating buttons and slide valves.

This is accomplished by requiring only the oscillation of a swivel pinextending through a round hole in the valve plate, which pin may bedirectly connected with the valve actuating mechanism within the treblebox.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is an end View of an accordion showing the relative position ofthe buttons with respect to the keyboard. Fig. 2 is a section through aportion of the accordion, showing the mounting of the buttons thereon.Fig. 3 is a front view of a portion of the accordion with the galleryremoved. Fig. 4 is a top view of the treble box with a portion of thevalve plate broken away and showing one of the buttons in actuatedposition.

In the drawing there is illustrated an accordion having the usual treblebox In, valve blocks l l and valve plate I2. Secured to the treble boxthrough the block [-3, and extending angularly therefrom, there is a keybed l4 carrying the usual natural keys [5 and sharp keys IS. The valveplate I2 is provided with the usual valve openings controlled by fingerkey valves manipulated by the keys I5 and I6, which valves and openingsare of the usual character, but for sake of clearness are not shown inthe drawing.

In addition to the usual key actuated valves, each of the reed blocks lI is provided with a pair of slide valves ll, one for opening andclosing the valve openings controlled by the natural keys, and the otherfor those controlled by the sharp keys. Said slide valves are of theusual character provided with spaced ports IS. Also in the usual manner,said valves are controlled by a series of transversely extending rockshafts I9, 20 and 2| mounted for oscillation within a bracket support22.

Each of said rock shafts is provided with a pair of shift pins 23extending therefrom into operative engagement with the ends of theirrespective slide valves ll. The end of each of said rock shaftsterminates in a laterally extending arm portion 24, which arm portionsare pivotal- 1y connected with the connecting rods 25, and 21 foroscillating the rock shafts 19, 2B and 25 2|, respectively. The oppositeends of said connecting rods are pivotally connected through theirrespective pins 23 with the swivel arms 29 at their free ends.

Said swivel arms 29 are secured to the swivel pins 30 by the set screws3|. Each of said swivel pins 30 extends through and is rotatablysupported within a bearing sleeve 32 protruding from the interior of thetreble box through the valve plate I2 and secured thereto by a bracketplate 33.

Spaced from the valve plate there is provided a bearing plate 34 whichis secured to the key bed block l3 by the supporting brackets 35 overwhich the gallery 35 extends for housing the valve plate and the keyactuated valves (not shown).

Each of the swivel pins 39 has its free end protruding through thegallery 35 beyond the bearing sleeve 32, and is provided with a knurledend for receiving the shift buttons 37, 38 and 39, whereby said shiftbuttons will be securely locked against relative rotation with theirrespective swivel pins.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that the button 31 is adapted toactuate connecting rod 25 and rock shaft it. The button 38 actuatesconnecting rod 28 and rock shaft 2!]. Button 39 actuates connecting rod21 and rock shaft 2|.

Each of said buttons is pivotally mounted over the valve plate l2 andadjacent the keys l5 and Hi. It is substantially fiat to provide fingerengaging wings extending laterally to each side of its pivotal mounting.In normal or valve open position, the finger wings of the buttons extendsubstantially in alignment with each other and substantially parallelwith the plane of the keyboard. In Fig. 4 the two left-hand buttons 38and 39 are shown in their normal position with their correspondingvalves in open position. To close one or the other of said valves, saidbuttons have their left-hand wings engaged by the fingers to swing suchbutton in the direction of the arrow to the position in which button 31is shown, whereupon its respective valve will be moved to closedposition. When it is desired to open such valve, the button which is inthe position of button 3'! has its right-hand wing engaged by the fingerfor swinging it in the direction indicated by the arrow in conjunctionwith button 3?. This movement will return the button and valve to normalopen position. It will be observed that the finger engagement of one orthe other laterally-extending wings of the button and its movement willbe in the direction of the finger action on the keys l5, l5, as bestillustrated in Fig. 3.

By this arrangement, the valves may be moved to open or closed positionthrough their respective valve actuating buttons by the same fingermovement and in the same direction as the fingers operate the keys l5,l5, depending upon which of the laterally-extending wings of the buttonis engaged. Furthermore, it will be noted that the action of the buttonsinvolves merely'the oscillation of a swivel pin extending through around hole in the valve plate whereby only a minimum amount of spacewithin the treble box is used. 'Also, interference with the usual fingerwires between the keys and their valve is eliminated. 1

The invention claimed is: r

1; In an accordion, a piano type keyboard, having a plurality of pianokeys, a treble reed box, a valve plate enclosing one side thereof, a

reed. block in said box, a sliding valve associated with said blockslidable to open or closed position, a swivel pin extending through saidvalve plate and having its bearing for oscillatory movement therein,shift mechanism within said box connecting said swivel pin with saidvalve, and a shift button secured to said pin and lying over said keys,said button being provided with finger engaging wings on each side ofsaid pin and normally extending substantially longitudinally of said keybed, said button being operable relative to said keys to cause saidvalve to be moved to closed position upon depression of one of its wingsin the direction of said keys and to open position upon depression ofthe other of its wings in the direction of said keys.

2. In an accordion, a piano type keyboard having a plurality of pianokeys, a treble reed box, a valve plate enclosing one side thereof, aplurality of reed blocks in said box, a sliding valve associated witheach of said blocks slid"- able to open or closed position, a supportingbracket extending in substantially parallel spaced relation with saidvalve plate and over said key bed, a series of swivel pins extendingthrough said valve plate and bracket and having their bearings therein,a swivel arm secured to the inner ends of each of said swivel pinswithin said box, operative connections between said arms and theirrespective valves for moving said valves to open or closed position uponsaid swivel pin being oscillated, and a shift button secured to each ofsaid swivel pins beyond said bracket and overlying said keys, each ofsaid buttons being formed with a finger engaging wing extendinglaterally fromeach side of its swivel pin and generally longitudinallyof said keyboard, whereby depression with one of said wings in thedirection of said keys will oscillate said pin to move its valve toclosed position and depression with the opposite wing in the directionof said keys will cause said swivel pin to move its valve to openposition. 7

' CARL LINDEEERG.

